National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers Surpasses the 500 Accredited Centers Mark

NEWS FROM THE AMERICAN COLLEGE OF SURGEONS | FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CHICAGO (May 22, 2013): Today the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers (NAPBC) announced that it has now accredited more than 500 breast centers and the program has widespread distribution in 48 states including Alaska, Hawaii, and the territory of Puerto Rico. The 500-accredited-centers achievement comes after surpassing the 100-accredited-centers mark in 2009, a little more than one year after the NAPBC began the formal process of surveying breast centers for accreditation in September 2008.

“Accrediting more than 500 breast centers is a milestone that represents the tremendous amount of work and honest effort of breast centers across the country. Demonstrating the importance of quality breast care, these facilities have voluntarily sought out the most significant accreditation for breast centers in the United States,” said Cary Kaufman, MD, FACS, Chair of the NAPBC. “We are proud of the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers for leading the way to provide the highest quality care for women diagnosed with diseases of the breast.”

Before a breast center earns NAPBC accreditation, it must first undergo a rigorous application process and onsite survey to ensure that the center has access to the 17 required components of care as defined by the NAPBC, and that they are able comply with the 28 program standards, which include leadership, clinical management, research, community outreach, professional education, and quality improvement criteria. The accredited centers voluntarily enter into an agreement to maintain a high level of clinical care with a recertification required every three years. In addition to the rigorous application process, each center that applies for accreditation does so with the understanding that it will provide a multi-disciplinary approach to diagnosing and treating breast cancer.

The NAPBC said it is poised for further growth, pointing out that its national office currently receives eight to 10 new applications on a monthly basis from breast centers seeking accreditation. Furthermore, its conferences and workshops that outline the accreditation process are typically booked to full capacity. NAPBC has also received significant interest from the medical leadership of international breast centers and is working to develop a pilot accreditation program in other countries.

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About the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers (NAPBC)

The NAPBC represents a consortium of more than twenty national, professional organizations dedicated to the improvement of the quality of care and monitoring of outcomes of patients with diseases of the breast. It is the first and only national accreditation program to specifically focus on breast disease. To learn more about the National Accreditation Program of Breast Centers and to view the complete list of NAPBC accredited breast centers, visit: http://napbc-breast.org.

About the American College of Surgeons

The American College of Surgeons provides administrative support to the NAPBC. The College is a scientific and educational organization of surgeons that was founded in 1913 to raise the standards of surgical practice and to improve the care of the surgical patient. The College is dedicated to the ethical and competent practice of surgery. Its achievements have significantly influenced the course of scientific surgery in America and have established it as an important advocate for all surgical patients. The College has more than 79,000 members and is the largest organization of surgeons in the world. For more information, visit www.facs.org.